The View From A Broom
by RenegadeChicklet
Summary: With the visit of an owl, a 14 year old girl in the USA is given an unexpected escape from her mediocre life. In search of adventure and independence, she runs away from home in order to become a witch. PG-13 for uh… lots of language.


**Summary:** With the visit of an owl, a 14 year old girl in the USA is given an unexpected escape from her mediocre life. In search of adventure and independence, she runs away from home in order to become a witch. PG-13 for uh… lots of language.

**Disclaimer:** All indicia to the _Harry Potter_ book series © J.K. Rowling. Isn't she the best? XP

Lyrics of _Who's to Say_ © Vanessa Carlton.

**Author's Notes (and Warnings):** So folks, this is my first fanfiction about Harry Potter and I must warn you about two things: 1) It's PG-13 for swearing (Ha ha, for those who know me, you could've guessed that immediately), 2) This fic is Mary Sue-ish because A) it takes place in a magical school like Hogwarts but is located in the USA and B) it's about a fourteen year-old witch (meaning some things may seem familiar from Harry's fourth year). But don't worry, this fic won't have her magically transferred to Hogwarts where massive love triangle plots will ensue, nor will it have any mention or plot evolving from a Hogwartian student as her second cousin five times removed come to stay in America (Er, or anything of the sort). Also, the name Lili doesn't relate anything to Lily Potter and Cisneros is pronounced siz-nair-O-z. Anyways, without further ado, I give you:

**The View From a Broom**

_Flap. Flap. Bump._

"Oh my fucking God!" Lili almost screamed, covering her mouth just in time to muffle the curses.

_Hoot. Hoot._

Lili's eyes widened in utmost astonishment.

_Blink._

But the owl was still there; waiting patiently and smoothing its dusty-gray plumage.

_Peck. Peck._

She took a step forward and then hesitated. "What the hell?"

_Peck. Peck._ "I don't have all day," the owl seemed to be saying as it knocked again in irritation. Finally Lili scuffled to the window, her hands moving about in nervousness.

_Whoosh._

After pushing out the screen, the little owl hopped merrily inside.

_Hoot. Hoot._

Dropping a large, clumsily wrapped parcel the owl blinked at her as if to say, "God you humans are stupid. Take the damn package and give me some freakin' water!"

"Uh, er… Right." Lili backed away slowly out of the room and shuffled off to the kitchen, filling a small bowl with water. Shaking her head, she walked back down the hall to her room, wondering if this was only a dream.

She set the treat down on the window sill, hoping the owl didn't have a preference between tap and purified water. Reaching out to take the bulky bundle, she was surprised at the address written on it:

Lili Cisneros

First Upper Window on the Left-handed Side

1404 7th Street

Stonewood

Tacoma

Horribly confused, she struggled keeping face: should she open it? "It's right here," she told herself, "this is what I've been waiting for." She stared hard at the package. "But what if this all turns out to be a dream?" she asked the owl, choking back a sob. "What if this is all a figment of my imagination and I believe and then—" she gulped hard, remembering, "everything's crushed." She closed her eyes, praying, "I want a way out of here. Please…" she opened her eyes, "Be it."

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing._

Lili sat straight up in bed, hitting her head on the ceiling.

"Shit." Quickly shutting off the alarm on her watch, she swaggered almost drunkenly down the bunk stairs, the aftermath of the dream still swarming above her head.

_Zip._ She slipped on her frayed jean shorts and a cap-sleeved Coldplay t-shirt. Changing her hair, eyes, nose, and height on the display screen of the Metamorpher, (a small computer-like object that allows you to change the physical properties chosen by DNA by injecting a small needle filled with a potion similar to pollyjuice potion), she glanced uneasily at her sister who was snoring deeply: a sure sign of unconsciousness.

A minute after she injected the needle of potion, her dark brown, curly hair, chocolate eyes, somewhat-pointy nose, and 5'2" height was replaced with short, caramel hair, crystal blue eyes, a stubby nose, and 5'5" height. Lili smiled. It felt so empowering to be taller. She grimaced and ran her fingers through her hair. "I bet I look like a freakin' prat with this prep hair and this—oh God, it's a button nose!" Half-way through the process of changing properties on the Metamorpher screen, she realized that this was the perfect disguise.

"Okay," she breathed, putting the Metamorpher back into her bag, "This is it."

Lili raised her wand, causing the pillows, bed sheets, and cover to rise slightly, which gave the impression of a sleeping figure. Grabbing the sneakers and backpack placed neatly at the doorway, she turned around for one last, almost tearful, goodbye.

Eyes traveling nostalgically over her memento-covered walls, she meditated on the bright yellow rug she had kept from her post-obsession of smiley faces. Old Polaroid photos — color and grayscale — blockbuster movie posters, banners from last year's bizarre-themed school dances, abstract art projects, unique open-topic essays, presentation scripts, music sheets from band, boyfriends-come-and-go-but-girlfriends-are-forever consolation cards, celebration pictures, and the four-foot-long, framed can of Cola she had been assigned to draw during art — stained with the liquid from the model pop itself — gazed at her understandingly. There's more out there, they were saying. _Go_, they whispered unanimously; _discover_.

She ascended from her thinking post and drifted to the opposite walls where Christmas cards were stapled, ripped graphic tees tacked up, uncountable Chinese fortunes dotting the room like stars in the sky, unused postcards, 1920's stamps, sketches from Science class in black kohl pencil, special edition trading cards, demo CDs she received in the mail, a few signed celebrity photos, movie tickets, party invitations, soccer team photos, LIVESTRONG bracelets, comic strips from the Sunday paper, favorite newspaper articles, restaurant menus, crayon drawings from her childhood, and a solar system mobile hung from the ceiling. Everything was so disorderly, but fit together perfectly like a hand sewn quilt. At last her chocolate eyes came to linger on the picture of her family.

_Click._

"_Sometimes family are the ones you choose. It's too late now. I hold on to this life I've found…"_ Her heart skipped a beat as she heard the purple stereo on the dresser began to play quietly. After a couple of accidental drops, it had acquired a new power of turning off and on at any moment.

"_And who's to say we won't burn it out? And who's to say we won't sink in doubt? Who's to say we won't fade to gray? Who are they anyway, anyway? They don't know…"_

_Click._

The lyrics of "_Who's to Say_" echoed in her mind. God knew how much she needed this. She had always believed in magic; the sense of wonderful things that science alone couldn't explain. Magic was stupid things like love, hope, and wisdom, but now it was _real_. Real.

This choice of independence was the only way to save herself from the world she couldn't belong to. _Independence_. Yeah, that's what she needed. The word felt as thrilling as the taste of the liquor her father hid in the basement, but much more cogent. "Weigh the opposition," she mused, "Stay here and get sucked up in this hell of a place or…" Lili licked her lips thoughtfully, "Hitchhike to Magicland."

She took one more look at the photo, her half-smiling face contained by a frame and imprisoned behind a sheet of glass. "I choose…" she took a breath, "Magicland."

**Omygodomygodomygoddygodgod. Well, I hope you like this story enough to review! Our runaway Lili is now embarking on her much-needed adventure: all the girl can do is cuss; you'd think she'd have enough of a life to spend time on other things like watching out for mysterious stalkers, odd, weed-smoking hillbillies, way-too-perky store clerks and crazy, eccentric hobos riding around in clown gear on a bicycle. Ah, well, that's what happens when you live in the wizarding world, no?**


End file.
